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Page 455
her against Ian. That would have set the fat in the fire, Ian thought. Whatever trouble there was between himself and Alinor, there was no distrust involved. She would have scorched Sir Peter's ears right off his head if he implied that her husband was about to betray her. Probably she would have lashed out even before she heard the whole taleand that was why Alinor had never mentioned the matter.
Obviously, Sir Peter had not quite decided what to do. Possibly he had hoped that if Alinor came he could confront them both with his suspicions. Now he was in doubt. He had sent his wife and children away to safety, but the luxurious treatment Ian was receiving indicated that he had not brought himself to the sticking point. Ian seized a candle and stood up. Even if Sir Peter was innocent of evil intentions, was merely worried and distressed, it was unhealthy to have such ideas festering in his brain. The best thing was to lay it out in the open and try to put the man's fears, whatever they were, to rest.
The antechamber was empty. Ian looked at it blankly, wondering where Owain and Geoffrey were. His own surprise annoyed him. He should have realized he was alone. He had been listening for a step that presaged an attack. He would have heard the boys enter. Ian turned toward the door, but he did not move forward. Instead he stared at it with open-mouthed surprise. Slowly his skin darkned to an ugly mahogany, as the blood of rage filled his head.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! How could he have walked past that door and not seen it? How? Whatever Sir Peter's motives or intentions, they had been long thought upon and long planned. He had hung the door of a prison cell on the entrance to his bedchamber. There was the small barred opening through which a guard could speak to or observe a prisoner. There on the floor was the slot through which food could be pushed. Ian gritted his teeth to prevent himself from screaming with

 
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